Free Release, book 3 of The Angler series by Annie Nicholas Page A

new bait doesn’t give it back as well as you do.”
    New bait? That stung more than it should. I pressed my face against his solidness. I wasn’t alone. Red would help me, though he would hate doing it. Red had been against my leaving with Rurik from the get-go. He’d pleaded with me not to live among the vampires, not because he’d harbored romantic feelings for me, but he’d thought they’d abuse me in the end.
    He pulled aw ay and his gaze locked onto the ragged bite mark on my neck and the fading bruises on my face from Monte Carlo. “Which one of them did this?”
    The air I breathed froze from the chill in his question. “Red…”
    “Don’t, Connie. Don’t defend ‘em. Rurik promised to take care of you. This ain’t care in my book.” His face turned the shade of his name.
    “Is Colby in Rome too?” I curled into his arms, hoping to defuse his temper.
    “Nah, he’s in New York City and in love.” He chuckled. “Nice ta meet a woman who can knock him on his ass.”
    I grinned. So Gwen had finally caught him. She’d been my bodyguard before Kam, who was her brother. Once she’d laid eyes on my old slayer boss, it had been love at first sight, but he hadn’t returned the sentiment. I guess she’d changed his mind. “Doesn’t explain why you’re here.” I poked him in the side.
    He flinched in real pain. Leaning back, he lifted the hem of his shirt up and showed me the incision across his flank. “Some vamps got a hold of me for a few days. Colby and Gwen pulled my ass out but I was in rough shape. They had to take my spleen out. I decided to recuperate here. Rome’s a good place for an old slayer like me to let his guard down.” He sighed. “Until you showed up. You going to tell me what’s really going on? I don’t buy what Anthony told me about you getting rolled by a vamp and brought here as food.”
    I glanced around the empty room. So much of me wanted to tell him everything. To lean on his shoulder and let him make everything better. I sagged in his arms. He knew about Rurik and Tane. He knew I loved them both and chose to stay with them of my own free will. If he wanted to betray me to the Rome slayers, he didn’t need my confession. Still, I kept my voice low so it wouldn’t carry. “Something’s wrong with Rurik. He’s changing and we’re on the run.” I met Red’s gaze to make my point. “From them .” Not even slayers knew about the Nosferatu except for Colby’s crew. To reveal their existence meant death. I wouldn’t chance someone over hearing us.
    Red’s eyebrow rose. “Tane’s them ?”
    I nodded.
    “Tane too?”
    “No, he’s trying to help in his way ,” I answered
    “Which means he’s not doing mu ch. Who did this?” He traced the bite mark.
    I left the security of his arms. “Rurik attacked me last night. If not for my bodyguard, I think he would have killed me. He’s loose on the streets, Red, and I can’t figure out how to help him get better.”
    “Sometimes you have to put a sick dog down.” He touched my wooden stake that Anthony must have left on my bed.
    I ground my teeth. “Everyone keeps saying that and I’m getting fed up.” I jabbed my finger against his chest. “Fuck, he deserves a fighting chance. I would hate to depend on any of you if you were sick.”
    “You’re not an indestructible vampire. Should we wait until he kills someone for you to see the light? Are you prepared to sacrifice an innocent life so easily?” He frowned. “That’s not the Connie I remember.”
    I mirrored his expression and hugged myself. “I’m still that person. This change has only taken place in last twenty-four hours.”  I took a deep, shaky breath to relieve the growing pressure in my chest. “I can’t stay here all night. I have to find him.”
    “ Stay. They have the whole community searching the streets for him. There’s not a hole dark enough for him to hide in.”
    “They want to kill Rurik and I want to help him. Tane might be